I guess it makes more sense. It's still annoying. But glad to know that CBS wants Ravens-Pats, especially since given my choice of the three Networks, I prefer CBS. I like Phil Simms as the color commentary/analyst and then you've got Shannon Sharpe and Jim Brown. Marino and Cowher might have some blunders every now and again, but they laugh at each other when they do and laugh at themselves. They really seem like a tight knit group that might actually hang out together after being on set. And Boomer adds a grounded presence. They're entertaining, fun, and intelligent. Heck, even the sideline reporters seem to be more passionate in their reporting.

Hope not. I'm guessing they'll go with Simms with this being primetime and everything. They better... or I'll definitely feel shafted. Collinsworth might not be Simms, but he's definitely superior to Dierdorf._________________

There's speculation out there that in exchange for getting the Broncos/Chiefs flexed from CBS on to Sunday night last month, CBS may have been given back the Ravens/Pats game in return. CBS is allowed to protect one game from being flexed every week and had used that to try to keep the Chiefs/Broncos game, so it would make sense that special circumstances went into moving that game into primetime. Ravens/Pats will be the featured 4:25 game that everyone not in the Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Oakland, or San Diego will see so it should be a big draw for them.

So I was under the impression that there wasn't a week 17 flex game, but apparently that's wrong. So I guess they may also see that playoff implications are more likely for BAL/CIN than PHI/DAL in week 17. Even if the division isn't in play, BAL has a good chance of still being in win-to-get in mode. SF and CAR could feasibly have the two WC spots locked up in the NFC and the division could be out of play potentially.

Quote:

In Week 17, in order to ensure a Sunday night game with playoff implications, the decision to move the start time may be made on six days notice.

I always thought that wasn't a flex game too. It's weird because there isn't a Sunday night game scheduled for late right now either. There's no Thursday or Monday night games that week at least. It's just one action-packed Sunday of football.

I always thought that wasn't a flex game too. It's weird because there isn't a Sunday night game scheduled for late right now either. There's no Thursday or Monday night games that week at least. It's just one action-packed Sunday of football.

Well, my guess is that if they plan on moving a playoff game there no matter what, it made sense for them to just move one game's schedule (from early to late) rather than that of two._________________

Sources said the NFL made the move to stay in line with a rule written in its broadcast contracts prohibiting the league from taking too many primetime games from CBS or Fox each season. The rule says that the difference in the number of games taken from CBS and Fox cannot be more than three games. If the NFL did not make a Week 16 move, it would have taken 25 games from CBS and 22 from Fox for its primetime packages this season on NBC, ESPN and NFL Network. That is important because the NFL would not have been able to take a CBS matchup for the season finale, when the "SNF" game is the season's final matchup and should have playoff implications. With the change, 24 primetime games come from CBS and 23 come from Fox, giving the NFL access to the entire slate of Week 17 games from which to choose.

Basically, by flexing out a game from Fox and returning a game to CBS, it allows them to flex any game they want to the "primetime" slot in week 17. I personally think they should have flexed a game from this week and put the Steelers vs Bengals game back to 430 and left the Ravens and Patriots where they were, but this explains the decision._________________
GO RAVENS!!